Les Ancizes-Comps: Lake, Viaduct and History

Les Ancizes-Comps appeals above all to travelers who want to combine a stay by the water with architecture and remembrance of the resistance in the Combrailles. Lac des Fades-Besserve, Viaduc des Fades, Eglise Notre-Dame de Comps and Mémorial des Combrailles each offer a different focus. There is also the Vélorail des Fades, whose route passes through tunnels to the viaduct. When choosing your stay, you can weigh these themes according to your interests: lake, rail excursion or cultural history. Each answers a different question: the lake brings together leisure activities, the Vélorail and viaduct represent route and construction history, while the church and Mémorial represent historical remembrance.

At Lac des Fades-Besserve

Lac des Fades-Besserve is a 385-hectare reservoir. It is open daily year-round and free to access. Activities at the lake include fishing, picnic areas, children’s playgrounds, and rowboat and pedal-boat rentals. This brings together both places to relax and activities to enjoy. Rowboats and pedal boats complement fishing, while picnic areas and playgrounds offer other ways to spend time there. This range can help you decide whether you want your stay to focus on one particular activity or several options.

Vélorail to Viaduc des Fades

The Vélorail des Fades departs from Les Ancizes station. Its route passes through three tunnels before reaching Viaduc des Fades; one of the tunnels is more than 300 metres long. The starting point, tunnel passages and viaduct destination create a clear sequence for the ride. The Vélorail Électrique des Fades is listed as covering 7 kilometres one way and 14 kilometres for a return trip. This comparison helps you distinguish the one-way distance from the total distance for the round trip.

Construction and protection of the viaduct

Viaduc des Fades was built between 1901 and 1909. It is protected as a Monument historique and also bears the designation “Patrimoine du XXe siècle.” The construction dates and designations serve different purposes: the years indicate when it was built, while the designations describe its heritage status. They complement the construction dates with two cultural classifications: protection as a historic monument and recognition as heritage of the 20th century. The viaduct is visible from the Les Fades dam; access to the structure’s deck is prohibited.

Church and remembrance

Eglise Notre-Dame de Comps has been classified as a Monument historique since 6 November 1961. This date marks the beginning of its classification, not the church’s construction date. Mémorial des Combrailles commemorates a different historical subject: the sculpture by Hal Wilson was unveiled on 8 May 2000 in memory of the resistance in the Combrailles. The memorial can be visited individually and independently at any time. The church and Mémorial thus represent different forms of remembrance: the classification of a building and an independent memorial with a specific commemorative purpose.

Discover more destinations: Enval, Chapdes-Beaufort, Pont-Du-Château, Cébazat, Villeneuve, Lapeyrouse, Thiolières, Chaumont-Le-Bourg

For the broader travel overview: Puy-De-Dôme.